Dying or bleaching apparatus for yarn wound on reels or similar packages

ABSTRACT

Dying or bleaching apparatus for yarn wound on reels or similar packages, comprising a dying boiler ( 15 ) having an annular section suitable for receiving a single circular load of mobile reel holder shafts ( 13 ) which can be removed at the same time for the subsequent water draining and drying operations, operating with less liquid and also capable of being used with fractional capacities with a constant soaking ratio.

The present invention refers to a dying or bleaching apparatus for yarnwound on reels or similar packages. Traditional dying or bleachingapparatuses for yarn wound on reels or similar packages are made ofstainless steel resistant to corrosive chemicals, and operate at a hightemperature and under static pressure.

Substantially, the apparatuses in question consist of a cylindricaltreatment boiler with a convex base and cover, of which this cover canbe locked with a closing device using superposed teeth or the like,which can be flipped over through a pneumatic cylinder. The boiler isequipped with a pump for the reversible circulation of the dying liquidand with a heat exchange group for heating or cooling the liquid.

The heat exchange group, by indirect steam, consists either of an innercoil, generally arranged on the base of the boiler, or of an outer heatexchanger arranged on the piping connecting the pump to the boiler. Inparticular, in the solution with the coil, the heating takes place bythe passage of steam in it, whereas the cooling is obtained with thepassage of cold water.

The apparatus is completed by various accessories, such as a small pumpfor the static pressure, an expansion tank outside of the bath whichalso functions as a recipient for the introduction of the dyingingredients, and command and control equipment which play no part in thepresent invention and which will therefore be ignored hereafter.

Inside the boiler the removable material holder can be arranged carryinga plurality of shafts upon which the reels to be treated are mounted.

These apparatuses work with a soaking ratio which varies from 1/10 toabout 1/13, that is they use from 10 to 13 liters of water for every kgof material treated, with a variable number of water changes for eachdying cycle.

The number of water changes in a treatment cycle of course variesaccording to the type of textile material to be treated and to the classof dyes used.

This number of water changes can be quantified from a minimum of two upto a maximum which can even exceed ten, of which most are with hotliquid. From this it is clear that in dying processes there is a largewater and steam consumption.

The complete operative cycle foresees the load of reels slotted one ontop of the other on the material holder shafts, the insertion of thematerial holder into the boiler, the dying treatment in the boiler, theremoval of the material holder from the boiler, the removal of the reelsfrom the shafts, the insertion of the reels in a centrifugal waterdraining machine, the water draining treatment for the maximum possibleremoval of water from the reels, the removal of the reels from the waterdraining machine, the loading of the reels onto the shafts of thetrolley of the drier, the introduction of the trolley into the drier,the drying of the reels, the removal of the trolley with the finaldischarge of the treated and dried reels.

If one considers the problems regarding the environment, it can beclearly seen that the modern dying industry requires machinery whichreduces all forms of atmospheric and environmental pollution. Thenconsidering both the energy and workforce costs, ever more apparatusesare needed which reduce consumption and energy costs per productionunit, and which allow a reduction, if not elimination, of themanipulations of yarn in some steps of the aforementioned productivecycle, simplifying it with a consequent reduction in the productioncosts.

Another requirement, which is urgently demanded by the market, should beadded to the above, that being an ever more flexible use of theseapparatuses, understood in the sense of being able to use them not justat full capacity but also, according to requirements, partly full, andthis, of course, with a virtually constant soaking ratio.

The purpose of the present invention is that of realising a dying orbleaching apparatus for yarn, on reels or similar packages, which allowsthe manipulations to be carried out to be minimised as far as possible.

Another purpose of the present invention is that of realising a dying orbleaching apparatus for yarn wound on reels or similar packages, whichuses a very short soaking ratio, reducing atmospheric and environmentalpollution and energy costs accordingly.

Another purpose of the present invention is that of realising a dying orbleaching apparatus which allows a good flexibility of use, maintaininga constant soaking ratio as the load of material to be treated varies.

A further purpose of the present invention is that of realising aparticularly simple and functional dying or bleaching apparatus at acontained cost.

These purposes according to the present invention are achieved byrealising a dying or bleaching apparatus for yarn wound on reels orsimilar packages, as outlined in claim 1.

Further characteristics are foreseen in the dependent claims.

The characteristics and advantages of a dying or bleaching apparatus foryarn wound on reels or similar packages, according to the presentinvention shall become clearer from the following description, given asan example and not for limiting purpose, referring to the attachedschematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational section view of a boiler having an annulartreatment section in closed configuration of a dying or bleachingapparatus for yarn wound on reels, according to the present invention,in which reel holder shafts have been inserted through a moving devicefor all of the reel holder shafts, shown above the boiler with a sideview, where, for the sake of simplicity, just two shafts are representedwith a broken line;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged side elevational section view of a device formoving all of the reel holder shafts, carrying just two shafts for thesake of simplicity;

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show an enlarged side elevational section view of adetail of a cover of a small boiler of the apparatus of FIG. 1, in astep prior to closing and in closed position, respectively;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view from above of the single boiler of theapparatus of FIG. 1 filled with reel holder shafts and wedge-shapedprofiles;

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d show four plan views from above of thesingle boiler of the apparatus of FIG. 1 filled with four differentloads of reel holder shafts and cylindrical liquid reduction bufferlungs;

FIG. 6 shows a front view of the dying apparatus of FIG. 1, inserted inan embodiment of a dying line, upstream of a centrifugal water-drainingmachine with hoists having a beehive section and of a drier with achamber having a circular section;

FIGS. 7 a, 7 b and 7 c show three different plan views from above ofthree productive embodiments of a dying line, with respective trolleys,specifically in FIG. 7 a the line of FIG. 6 is schematised, in FIG. 7 ba line with a traditional drier having a chamber with a rectangularsection can be seen, and finally in FIG. 7 c a line with a traditionalwater draining apparatus and a traditional drier is shown;

FIG. 8 shows a plan view from above of the single boiler in openconfiguration of the apparatus of FIG. 1, where two series of inner andouter teeth for clamping a cover to close the boiler and seats for thereel holder shafts can be seen.

Before anything else it must be said that only those parts of a dyingapparatus which are essential for a complete understanding of theinvention are illustrated in the drawings and shall be describedhereafter, whereas all accessories which can be realised in atraditional manner which are well known in the prior art have been leftout.

Moreover, reference shall always be made to a dying apparatus, but it isto be understood that it could also concern apparatuses for bleaching orfor other treatments.

With reference to the figures, a dying apparatus, equipped with anannular section boiler, is shown wholly indicated with 10.

FIG. 1 represents a cylinder-shaped treatment boiler 15 with a verticalaxis, having a circular crown section, with a base rested upon bearings22, which is equipped with an inner heat exchange chamber 16 and with anouter heat exchange chamber 17. The boiler 15 is closed with a cover 11,pivoted on a pin 43, and actuated by a flip-over cylinder 20 and by alowering cylinder 21 of the cover 11.

A device for circulating dying liquid, according to two oppositedirections indicated by arrows 46 and 47, is foreseen consisting of anouter pump 100 connected to the boiler 15 with a lateral piping 18 andwith a lower piping 19 which carries an annular collector 49.

Above the collector 49 inverted cone-shaped seats 25′ are foreseen. Suchseats host a conical lower end 25, which can be seen in FIG. 2, of reelholder shafts 13, on which reels 12 to be treated are slotted. In thecase of FIG. 2 the reels 12 are wound on conical perforated supports andare separated by spacer disks 26. In the case of reels 12 wound onspecial cylindrical perforated supports the disks 26 can also be leftout.

FIG. 2 shows a circular device 14 for moving all of the shafts 13arranged around the circumference, comprising a structure 32 whichcarries attachments for locking all the shafts 13, each consisting of apair of small pistons 27, or of other known systems, which push twopincers 28 in correspondence with a grooved upper end 23—which can beseen in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b—of the shaft 13.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show a detail of a lock of a cover 11 on a boiler 15,which takes place between an inner edge 44 and an outer edge 45 of anupper end of the boiler 15, and an inner edge 44′ and an outer edge 45′of a lower end of the cover 11. On the cover 11 locking and centringdevices are foreseen, one for each shaft 13, consisting of a pin 30,equipped with a spring 31, which terminates with a conical seat 29, toreceive the shaft 13 which terminates on top with a countersink 24.

In FIG. 4 wedge-shaped profiles 33 for reducing the amount of dyingliquid can be seen, whereas in FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d cylindricalbuffer lungs 34, also for reducing the dying liquid, are shown.

Said profiles 33 have a shape such as to occupy, inside the boiler 15,space which is not used by the reels 12 with the maximum outer diameter,which are slotted into the shafts 13. Thus most of the dead zones insidethe boiler 15 are eliminated.

A buffer lung 34 has a cylindrical shape and occupies the same space asthat of the shaft 13 loaded with reels 12 with a maximum outer diameter.

At an upper end, the buffer lung 34 is equipped with a grooved end andwith a countersink (not shown but identical with respect to those of theshaft 13, which are respectively indicated with the reference numerals23 and 24). In the same way, the buffer lung 34 is equipped, on theopposite side, with a conical end (not shown but identical with respectto the one of the shaft 13, which is indicated with the referencenumeral 25). In this way a buffer lung 34 is interchangeable with ashaft 13.

FIG. 6 shows, under a crane 35, a dying line consisting of a trolley 36which carries a series of shafts 13, arranged on a circumference, of adying apparatus 10, of a centrifugal water draining machine with beehivehoists or perforated tubes 37 and of a drier with a chamber having acircular section 38.

In FIGS. 7 a, 7 b and 7 c other embodiments of the dying line are shown,in which one should note, in addition with respect to FIG. 6, atraditional drier with a chamber having a rectangular section 40, atraditional water draining machine 41, and a rectangular trolley 42which carries a series of fixed axes.

FIG. 8 illustrates a double mechanical and airtight closing system ofthe inner 44 and outer 45 upper edges of the boiler 15 on the inner 44′and outer 45′ lower edges of the cover 11, for such a purpose, as seenin FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, the boiler 15 is equipped with series of inner 60and outer 61 inner upper teeth, and the cover 11 is equipped with inner60′ and outer 61′ inner lower teeth, which, when closed, superpose theinner 60 and outer 61 inner teeth.

The reels 12 to be dyed, wound on conical perforated supports, areslotted into the shafts 13, separated by disks 26, and these shafts 13are positioned onto the trolley 36 to then, all together, through thedevice 14, be loaded into the dying apparatus 10.

In particular, said shafts 13 are positioned in the boiler 15, which, ascan be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, is sized so that its circular crown-shapedsection has a thickness slightly greater than the maximum diameter ofthe reels 12.

The boiler 15 has, formed internally towards the bottom, on acircumference which passes through the centre of the circular crown ofthe boiler 15, a series of seats 25′. Said seats 25′ are sized toreceive the conical lower ends 25 of the shafts 13.

Advantageously, a series of shafts 13, in the example in FIG. 4 thereare twenty, can be positioned simultaneously, to fill all the circularcrown, by using the moving device 14.

Such a device 14 has a circular structure 32 which comprises a series ofpairs, one for each shaft 13, of small pistons 27, or other known means,arranged along the same circumference as the central one of the circularcrown of the boiler 15. The small pistons 27 can be actuated to clamp orrelease the grooved upper end 23 of the shafts 13 themselves, throughthe pincers 28, mounted at the end of the small pistons 27, which canengage in the grooved ends 23.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the device 14 clamps all of the shafts 13arranged around the circumference for example on the trolley 36, on thesame circumference as the central one of the circular crown of theboiler 15, and lowers them from above into the dying apparatus throughthe crane 35.

Once the shafts 13 are inserted in the seats 25′, the cover 11 is closedwith two distinct movements, actuated by the two cylinders 20 and 21.

The cylinder 20 actuates a flip-over of the cover 11 about the pin 43,into the position indicated in FIG. 3 a. This takes place thanks to anarm, carrying at one end the cover 11, which is pivoted, in an outerzone near to an outer edge 45 of the boiler 15, through the pin 43, andwhich is connected at the other end to the cylinder 20, in turn hingedon an outer surface of the boiler 15.

Then the cylinder 21 carries out the lowering of the cover 11 and inthis step the locking of the shafts 13 in their positions also takesplace. This is carried out through devices formed by pins 30, whichterminate with conical seats 29: in locking, which can be seen in FIG. 3b, said conical seats 29 are forced by the compressed springs 31 towardsthe upper countersinks 24 of the shafts 13, thus obtaining the lockingand also the centring, thanks to their conical shape.

The mechanical and airtight locking of the boiler 15 is carried out bylocking the cover 11 with the double system of inner 60 and 60′ andouter 61 and 61′ superposed teeth.

As can be clearly seen in FIG. 4, the inside of the boiler 15, equippedwith wedge-shaped profiles 33, has practically no dead zones when theshafts 13 are arranged in it.

Alternatively, partial loads of the dying apparatus 10 are possible,using the cylindrical buffer lungs 34, which fill the space which wouldbe occupied by the shafts 13 loaded with reels 12 having the maximumouter diameter. In FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d four different partiallyloaded situations can be seen.

After the quoted closing of the covers 11, the boiler 15 is filled withthe dying liquid.

Through the outer pump a circulation of the liquid is promoted, alsowith the possibility of inverting the direction of the flow. Accordingto the direction indicated by the arrows 47, the liquid circulates fromthe piping 19, through the annular collector 49 and the reels 12, up tothe piping 18. By inverting the flow, one gets the circulation indicatedby the arrows 46, from the piping 18 to the piping 19.

The dying liquid is heated through the inner heat exchange chamber 16.Vice-versa, the cooling of the liquid takes place through the outer heatexchange chamber 17.

With the dying apparatus 10 it is also possible to rationaliseproduction. Regarding this, in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 a a dying line isrepresented which foresees a trolley 36 where the shafts 13 arecircumferentially arranged with the reels 12 to be treated. These shafts13 are picked up by the crane 35 which lowers them, through the movingdevice 14, into the dying apparatus 10. After the cycle in the apparatus10, the series of shafts 13 is picked up by the moving device 14 and islowered into the centrifugal water-draining machine 37, which can bewith a beehive hoist or with perforated tubes, of a suitable size tohost the circumferential series of shafts 13. At the end of this step,the moving device 14 picks up the series of shafts 13 and lowers theminto the drier 38, which has a chamber with a circular section of asuitable size for hosting the circumferential series of shafts 13, wherethe process is completed.

Alternatively, in FIG. 7 b the production line includes, with respect toFIG. 7 a, instead of the drier with a chamber having a circular section38, a traditional drier 40 with a chamber having a rectangular section,for which reason, at the exit from the centrifugal water drainingapparatus 37, the circumferential series of shafts 13 is picked up bythe moving device 14 and is rested on a trolley 36, which is then takeninto the drier 40.

In another alternative, in FIG. 7 c the production line includes, withrespect to FIG. 7 a, a traditional water draining machine 41 and atraditional drier 40 with a chamber having a rectangular section, forwhich reason, at the exit of the dying apparatus 10, the circumferentialseries of shafts 13 is picked up by the moving device 14 and is restedupon a trolley 36. From the trolley 36 the individual reels 12 arewithdrawn from the shafts 13 and are positioned, manually ormechanically, in the traditional water-draining machine 41. At the endof the water-draining step the individual reels 12 are picked up andarranged, manually or mechanically, on a trolley 42, which is then takeninto the traditional drier 40 with a chamber having a rectangularsection, to conclude the treatment process.

It should be noted that the engineering solution realised in FIG. 7 a isof course the optimal one, because it reduces the manipulations of thereels 12 in the production cycle to the minimum.

The advantage which characterises this particular embodiment of thedying apparatus, with a boiler having an annular section, is that ofreceiving the reels to be dyed on individual removable reel holdershafts, arranged on a single circumference, which can all be removedsimultaneously through a circular device with pneumatic pincers, oranother known means, and which can therefore be positioned, withoutintermediate manipulations, firstly in the centrifugal water drainingmachine with a beehive hoist or perforated tubes and then in the drierwith a circular chamber.

For this last drying operation, it is very important that the residualhumidity of the yarn after the water draining is uniform in all thereels and this, in the case of the apparatus of the present invention,is guaranteed by the fact that the reel holder shafts are arranged on asingle circumference, a thing which is not possible in traditionalapparatuses.

A further advantage is the rationalisation of production, since themanual transfer operations of the reels from the dying apparatus to thewater draining apparatus, and from here to the drier are eliminated.

In practice, therefore, the entire batch is dyed, centrifuged and driedwithout intermediate manipulations of the reels.

Regarding this, the arrangement of the reel holder shafts on a singlecircumference simplifies enormously the possible automation with robotsof the initial loading operation and of the final unloading of theindividual reels from the shafts.

Moreover, the adoption, in the dying apparatus, of reducer buffer lungsinstead of the same number of reel holder shafts allows the treatment ofpartial loads still with a constant soaking ratio: the operativeflexibility is therefore at its maximum.

Finally, to treat large batches, apparatuses constructed with a modularstructure can be realised, combining or twinning many dying apparatusesaccording to the present invention.

Moreover, the dying apparatus object of the present invention, stillkeeping the essential special characteristics of traditionalapparatuses, that is working totally full and with inversion of thedirection of the circulation liquid, not only substantially reduces itssoaking ratio, but furthermore improves its dying capability.

This has been made possible thanks to the innovative shape of the dyingboiler having an annular section, possibly completed with wedge-shapedreducer profiles, which not only has practically no dead zones, but alsohas allowed the one usually created by the heating coil arranged on thebase of traditional apparatuses to be eliminated.

In fact, this new boiler has, instead of the inner coil, two heatexchange chambers, consisting of two annular interspaces outside of thebody of the boiler, one used to heat and the other used to cool thedying liquid, which, moreover, allow a greater cleanliness and safety ofmanagement of the apparatus. Moreover, thanks to the large heat exchangesurface available, there is an excellent heating and cooling speed andefficiency.

The reduction of the soaking ratio leads to the simultaneous reductionin water, energy, steam and chemical product consumption and of theatmospheric and environment polluting discharges.

Moreover, the treatment times are reduced since, with the same flow rateof the pump and with the same heat exchange surface with respect totraditional apparatuses, due to the substantial reduction in the bathvolume, increase its cycles per minute as well as its temperature risegradient, and thus in theory, and compatibly with the characteristiclifetime curves of dyes, the treatment times reduce. Moreover, theincrease in the cycles per minute also involves an improvement of thedying capabilities.

The dying apparatus thus conceived is susceptible to modifications andvariants, all covered by the invention; moreover, all of the details canbe replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice, thematerials used, as well as the sizes, can be whatever according to thetechnical requirements.

1. Dying or bleaching apparatus for yarn wound on reels or similarpackages, with a reduced soaking ratio, comprising a treatment boiler(15) closed on a base and equipped with a removable closing cover (11),said boiler (15) being equipped with entry and/or exit pipings (18, 19)for a treatment liquid connected to a circulation pump (100) and with aheat exchange group comprising two heat exchange chambers (16, 17), insaid boiler (15) with a vertical axis being arranged a plurality ofsupport shafts (13) with a parallel axis, upon each of which reels ofyarn or similar packages (12) are slotted one on top of the other, saidboiler (15) being externally cylinder-shaped and having an annularsection and said support shafts (13) being removable and being eacharranged circumferentially in housings (29, 25′) formed near to saidcover (11) and to said base, respectively, in which the radial thicknessof said annular section is slightly greater than the maximum diameter ofeach of said reels or similar packages (12), said cover (11) beingequipped with an inner circular edge (44″) and with an outer circularedge (45′) which, in the closing operation, abut against an inner edge(44) and an outer edge (45), respectively, of the boiler (15) said twoheat exchange chambers (16, 17) consisting of two annular interspacesdisposed outside of the annular body of said boiler (15) and forming aninner heat exchange chamber (16) with a circular crown-shaped section,which carries out the heat exchange with liquid through part of theinner cylindrical surface of the boiler (15), and an outer heat exchangechamber (17) with a circular crown-shaped section, which carries out theheat exchange with the liquid through part of the outer cylindricalsurface of the boiler (15).
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1,characterized in that said cover (11) is actuated by a flip-overcylinder (20, 43), and by a cylinder (21) mounted on the outside on itscentral axis, which lowers the cover (11) towards the boiler (15) untilit closes it and at the same time locking the support shafts (13),through a compression of the springs (31).
 3. Apparatus according toclaim 1, characterized in that, for the mechanical and airtight closingof the boiler (15) with said cover (11), a double mechanical andairtight closing system of inner (44) and outer (45) upper edges, of theboiler (15) on inner (44′) and outer (45′) lower edges of the cover(11), respectively equipped, the boiler 15 being equipped with series ofinner (60) and outer (61) upper teeth, and the cover (11) being equippedwith series of inner (60′) and outer (61′) lower teeth, which, in saidclosing, superpose the inner (60) and outer (61) teeth.
 4. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, characterized in that said housing (25′29)consists of a series of conical seats (25′), formed on the inner base ofthe boiler (15), and arranged on a single circumference which passesthrough the centre of the thickness of the circular crown of the boiler(15), and of a corresponding series of conical seats (29), formed on thecover (11), which, when the cover (11) is closed on the boiler (15), arecoaxial with the vertical axes which pass through the centre of eachconical seat (25′) formed on the base of the boiler (15), and which aresituated on a surface which faces towards the inside of the boiler (15),said apparatus further characterized in that said support shafts (13)are equipped below with conical ends (25), suitable for a removablehousing in said conical seats (25′), said apparatus furthercharacterized in that said conical seats (29) on the cover (11) are eachmounted on a pin (30) equipped with a compensation spring (31), so as toblock, in the act of closing the cover (11) on the boiler (15), thesupport shaft (13) in the conical seat (25′) formed on the base of theboiler (15), through a countersink (24) realized at the upper end of theshaft (13).
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that insome of said housings (25′, 29) cylindrical buffer lungs (34) arearranged which have below a conical end (25), suitable for the conicalseat (25′) of the boiler (15), and above a countersink (24), suitablefor the conical seat (29) of the cover (11), and which have acylinder-shaped body with a diameter equal to the maximum diameter ofeach of said reels or similar confections (12), and have a height atleast equal to the sum of the heights of the maximum number of reels orsimilar confections (12) which are slotted on a support shaft (13), saidcylindrical buffer lungs (34) being interchangeable with said shaft(13).
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in that in the boiler (15), atleast partially in a space not occupied by the support shafts (13) whichcarry the reels (12) and by cylindrical buffer lungs (34), wedge-shapedprofiles (33) are inserted, to further reduce the treatment liquid. 7.Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said supportshafts (13) and said cylindrical buffer lungs (34) have at the top agrooved end (23) which is suitable for being clamped through devicesequipped with pincers (28), moved by small pistons (27).
 8. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, characterized in that said inner chamber (16)carries out a heating of the liquid through indirect steam or anotherthermal fluid.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in thatsaid outer chamber (17) carries out a cooling of the liquid through coldwater.